Principal Engineer Jobs

Discover Principal Engineer opportunities at companies seeking experienced technical leaders. Principal Engineers shape architecture, guide complex engineering work, and help teams deliver reliable, scalable products and systems. Browse vetted roles on Ladders, where listed jobs pay $100,000 or more.

What Does a Principal Engineer Do?

A Principal Engineer is a senior individual contributor who influences technical direction across teams or an organization. Depending on the employer and discipline, the role may involve setting architecture standards, evaluating technologies, solving high-impact engineering problems, mentoring engineers, and partnering with product and business leaders. Principal Engineers often lead through expertise and influence rather than direct people management.

Skills and Qualifications

Employers commonly seek deep experience in a relevant engineering specialty, a record of delivering complex projects, and strong system-design and problem-solving skills. Communication, technical judgment, collaboration, and the ability to align stakeholders around a sound approach are also important. Requirements vary by industry and role; some positions emphasize software architecture, while others focus on infrastructure, hardware, data, security, or other engineering domains.

Principal Engineer Salary and Career Outlook

Compensation depends on factors such as location, industry, scope, and experience. Ladders focuses on vetted professional opportunities paying $100,000 or more, helping experienced candidates explore senior engineering roles. Review each listing for details about compensation, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Find Principal Engineer Jobs on Ladders

Search Principal Engineer jobs to compare opportunities and identify roles that match your expertise and career goals. Explore openings across companies and engineering disciplines, and use each job description to assess technical scope, team influence, and the experience required.

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$120K - $135K *

Elevate our proposal management efforts by leading strategic submissions, fostering collaboration among teams, and enhancing our pursuit capabilities to secure high-value projects that improve infrast...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$120K - $150K *

Transform business growth by generating leads and fostering client relationships across Chemicals, O&G, Power, Metals, and Advanced Facilities sectors, driving profitability and strategic sales initia...

Baton Rouge, LARemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$125K - $150K *

Drive platform architecture and strategy, owning scalable production environments. Lead cross-team collaboration, mentor engineers, and advocate for DevSecOps practices while solving complex technical...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of software development by leading projects, mentoring engineers, and architecting innovative solutions that enhance performance and meet business goals in a coll...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$110K - $130K *

Champion your career by leading security engagements, assessing architectures, and enhancing compliance. Collaborate with top professionals to identify risks and implement best practices, ensuring rob...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$253K - $298K *

Transform AI infrastructure by leading engineering efforts, driving innovation, and ensuring operational excellence across shared services. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in developing core systems that empower users to engage with diverse news perspectives. Collaborate closely with a small, agile team to design, build, and enhance backend services, ens...

CanadaRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Media

$90K - $110K *

Champion growth by leveraging your engineering expertise to drive sales, build relationships, and expand market presence in a dynamic territory. Collaborate with teams to create impactful strategies a...

St. Paul, MNRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$110K - $130K *

Design and develop high-performing, accessible user interfaces using modern JavaScript frameworks. Collaborate with teams to ensure compliance with accessibility standards while mentoring junior devel...

Tennessee, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$160K - $200K *

Shape the future of creative leadership by setting visionary strategies, driving distinctive brand expressions, and empowering a talented team to deliver integrated, high-impact marketing campaigns th...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $187K *

Innovate the future of AI security by designing and implementing robust defenses against adversarial threats, ensuring the integrity of AI systems while fostering innovation and collaboration across c...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Transform the SAP sales landscape by leveraging your extensive network and expertise to drive new business acquisition in the manufacturing sector. Own the full sales cycle, from lead generation to cl...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Explore your potential as a Signal Integrity Engineer, contributing to high-speed data solutions and supporting customer development from concept to production. Collaborate with teams to innovate and...

Austin, TXRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$154K - $246K *

Join a dynamic team to lead advanced network planning initiatives, guiding strategic projects and shaping product roadmaps. Leverage your expertise to drive innovation in network optimization and ment...

Ottawa, ONRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$222K - $314K *

Drive innovation by designing and implementing LLM-based systems that tackle complex problems in data processing, empowering the team with your technical direction and expertise while overseeing impac...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Drive operational excellence by enhancing reliability and performance of a SaaS platform. Collaborate with development teams to implement automation, incident management, and observability practices...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $210K *

Drive complex enterprise SaaS projects with a focus on alignment, execution, and risk management while engaging with stakeholders across all levels to ensure successful implementations and foster cont...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $170K *

Develop and enhance Python services for pharmacy claims processing. Collaborate across teams to deliver high-quality solutions while gaining expertise in the pharmacy benefits domain. Embrace a hybrid...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$225K - $275K *

Lead the charge in redefining Total Rewards strategy, enhancing compensation, equity, and benefits to attract and retain top talent while anticipating workforce shifts driven by AI and market trends...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Partner with us to drive innovative security solutions, engaging with customers and partners to address their unique challenges. Leverage your expertise in pre-sales and engineering to enhance operati...

Philadelphia, PARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Drive collaboration with sales teams to identify prospects and deliver tailored security solutions, addressing technical challenges and enhancing customer engagement through education and presentation...

Dover, DERemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$175K - $215K *

Lead the charge in shaping Azure DevOps practices and architecture while mentoring a talented team. Oversee technical delivery, ensure compliance, and drive innovation within a dynamic, multi-country...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Lead the charge in delivering complex renewable energy projects, ensuring safety, quality, and budget adherence. Collaborate with diverse stakeholders to drive project success from development through...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$195K - $270K *

Elevate borrower experiences by leading a fullstack engineering team to create intuitive, reliable web and mobile solutions. Shape technical strategy and modernize architecture while fostering collabo...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$170K - $300K *

Shape the future of AI by engaging developers and partners to build, test, and launch AI agents on our cutting-edge platform. You'll create technical content, lead workshops, and cultivate feedback to...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is a Principal Engineer?question toggle

    A Principal Engineer is a senior technical individual contributor who helps set engineering direction, addresses complex problems, and influences architecture and practices across teams or an organization.

  • What does a Principal Engineer do?question toggle

    Responsibilities vary, but may include designing systems, establishing technical standards, guiding high-impact projects, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with product and business stakeholders.

  • How is a Principal Engineer different from an Engineering Manager?question toggle

    A Principal Engineer typically leads through technical expertise and influence, while an Engineering Manager generally focuses on people management, team operations, and delivery. Some organizations combine or vary these responsibilities.

  • What qualifications are commonly required for Principal Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Employers often look for extensive experience in a relevant engineering discipline, a history of delivering complex projects, strong system-design skills, and effective communication and collaboration.

  • How much do Principal Engineers earn?question toggle

    Pay varies by location, industry, specialization, and role scope. Ladders features vetted professional job listings paying $100,000 or more; check individual listings for compensation details.